DPG Media Group is a Belgian media company also active in the Netherlands and Denmark. It is owned by the Van Thillo family and employs some 6,000 people. Divisions The DPG Media Group operates through three national subsidiaries: DPG Media Belgium was founded on January 1, 2019, when Medialaan and de Persgroep Publishing merged into one organization. The company is active in television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and online services. DPG Media Nederland is the largest media organization in the Netherlands. After the merger between Medialaan and de Persgroep Publishing into DPG Media Belgium, the Dutch branch Persgroep Nederland was renamed DPG Media Nederland. In 2020 the company took over the Dutch activities of Sanoma Media Netherlands. The company is also active in radio, newspapers, magazines, and online services in the Netherlands. The Danish media group Berlingske Media has been part of DPG Media Group since February 2015, after parent company Mecom was acquired. Berlingske Media has been active on the Danish market since 1749. History 1987–2002: Formation in Flanders In 1987 the Van Thillo family, already the publishers of magazines Joepie (1973) and Dag Allemaal (1984), obtained 66 percent of shares in the Flemish publishing company Hoste NV, publisher of newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws and magazine Blik. In 1990 the rest of the shares were acquired and the company's name was changed to De Persgroep. The company had already bought Flemish newspaper publisher De Nieuwe Morgen in 1989, giving it ownership over a second newspaper, De Morgen. Also in 1987, De Persgroep was one of nine publishers involved in the foundation of the Vlaamse Televisie Maatschappij (VTM), the first and main commercial TV broadcaster in Flanders. The channel was launched on 1 February 1989. Each publisher originally owned 11.1% of the new company's shares. On 30 January 1995, Vlaamse Televisie Maatschappij launched a second TV channel, Ka2 (now VTM 2). In 1992, De Persgroep launched Goed Gevoel, the group's first magazine. In 1995, the first issue of showbiz magazine TV Familie appeared. On November 2001 at 6 AM, Qmusic went live with the Deckers & Ornelis Ochtendshow. In 2002, De Persgroep expanded to book publishing and DVD distribution. 2003–2013: Expansion into the Netherlands In 2003, De Persgroep acquired ailing Amsterdam city newspaper Het Parool, entering the Dutch market. In August 2003, HLN.be went online. In December 2004, the website, with 700,000 unique monthly visitors, was the most visited news site